Lisa - Neva Masquerade Cat (Siberian Color Point)

Siberians got to Australia

2007-05-20T07:00:00.000+04:00

Waw! Siberians got to Australia - at least on the web. On this site they say that Siberian were imported to Australia only in 2003. Which is really strange since this breed is old and popular.

They will watch TV with you, go to the bathroom with you, try to take a shower or bath with you, and then go to bed with you. And if you are trying to do something, they will insist on helping.

This is very very true. Following the owner is favorite thing to do. I wonder - and what would happen in the woods where there is no owner at hand?

Anyway - I'm very pleased that even in far away Australia Siberians are known.

Siberian Cat Breeders Showcase

2007-05-17T06:50:00.000+04:00

Siberian Cat Breeders Showcase is a place where you can easily find a Siberian Cat breeders, look at Siberian pictures, or even find a kitten. Breeders contacts and cat photos can be found there. Design might be not the best (a little old fashioned - you know, 1999 style). But content is interesting.

Zissou buring his food

2007-05-15T00:50:00.000+04:00

This Zissou is playing again. We cats try to bury the food all the time. We try to save it for harder times. We'd prefer to stay hungry for a while but to force THEM gives us better food. If THEY don't - we can always eat buried food. Clever we are.

Zissou is playing again

2007-05-09T01:18:00.000+04:00

Look at this Zissou - he's playing again. Kitten like to play - and this is good for their health. They're training their bodies and grow strong. Good for Zissou to play that much!

Cat got your nose?: Siberians may be the answer for some allergy-riddled pet lovers

2007-05-07T06:44:00.000+04:00

Another article about Siberians being a cat breed suitable for those who suffer from cat allergy.

Cat lovers, this is nothing to sneeze at.

The Siberian breed has become hot news among allergy sufferers who have always wanted a cat but feared the resulting wheezes, sneezes, hives, watery eyes and other problems. But some breeders and allergic owners say that many people who react to other cats can cuddle a Siberian without trouble.

Melissa Young of Arlington has a 2 1/2-year-old nephew, Keegan, whose immunodeficiency disorder makes him allergic to dogs and cats. He's even been hospitalized a couple of times after reacting to cats.

Yet Keegan, who spends a lot of time at the Young house, plays with the Youngs' 6-month-old Siberian without any problem.

"[Keegan] loves the cat, and he cries when he has to leave," Ms. Young says.

Or take 6-year-old Zach Mays of Wylie, who would normally react strongly if he held a cat. But he can play with his 3-month-old Siberian kitten with nothing more than occasional slightly reddened eyes, says his mom, Denise Mays.

Allergy sufferers don't love their Siberians just for the non-sneezy benefits. Siberians are handsome, round-faced, shaggy cats, and breeders and owners even ones without allergies cherish the cats for their affectionate natures.

Pet Lenhard of Melbourne, Fla., said her Siberian, Grigori, seemed "to know I'm sad right now" after her husband died in May 1997. Writing to Florida breeder Lynda Nelson, who sold her Grigori, Ms. Lenhard said: "He washes my arm or face and gives massages in the early hours of the morning when I can no longer sleep."

A Nelson client who does have cat allergies, Ernie Sherman of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., wrote in 1997: "It is still somewhat difficult to explain how these beautiful creatures have changed my life. They have provided me with a special feeling of companionship and responsibility. They have all the qualities associated with cats, yet show traits usually attributed to dogs. They exhibit a loyal and protective behavior which other people also notice." Mr. Sherman, who has had lifelong asthma and could not have pets before, now owns four Siberians.

The cats are said to have regal bearing; they also carry a pretty majestic price tag. Breeders charge , depending on age and other factors. However, that price may include not only the cat's basic vaccinations, but spaying and neutering too.

Why many allergy sufferers can own Siberians without swelling like the Goodyear blimp remains a mystery. Ms. Nelson says the cat lacks the allergy-triggering Fel d 1 protein usually found in feline saliva and skin secretions. (Cats spread the allergen around mostly via their dander.)

Not likely, says Dr. James R. Richards, director of the Feline Health Center at Cornell University's highly regarded veterinary school. "I am unaware of any studies that show that any one breed is less allergenic than another, or that one breed produces lower levels of Fel d 1," he says.

A prominent immunologist agrees: "In every cat species that's been looked at, there's been this major allergen [Fel d 1] lions, tigers, Sphinx [hairless house cats]," says Dr. Peyton Eggleston, a researcher in pulmonary immunology and urban asthma at Johns Hopkins University's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center.

The fur is flying

Georgia breeder Kathy Wade cites tests done by an independent Virginia laboratory in 1999. Indoor Biotechnologies, which does sophisticated tests for the presence of allergens, sampled fur from four cat breeds sent to the lab. Ms. Wade says the tests revealed much lower levels of Fel d 1 among Siberians and Abyssinians than typical house cats.

Not so fast, the lab says. In its most recent Web posting, the lab says breeders have misinterpreted the test results and that the Siberian fur actually showed high levels of allergen.

"The company would not provide recommendations on pet ownership based on the results provided under these circumstances," the lab states. "The results do not provide convincing scientific data that Siberian cats are 'hypoallergenic,' and it is unfortunate that they have been widely disseminated on the Web and used by breeders of Siberian cats to promote the breed."

Minnesota's Dvorovoi Cattery offers another theory: "Siberians produce less dander than most cats, probably due to their oily base fur. Since dander is just dry skin, the oils in the fur keep the skin from drying out."

"Interesting thought, but it still seems far-fetched to me," says Cornell's Dr. Richards. And Dr. Eggleston flatly rejects the notion: "One of the sources of dander is the sebaceous glands, which produce the oil."

Some breeders, such as Audrey Oliver of Arizona, scoff at the whole nonallergenic business: "There's no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat. ... It's something that has created a lot of problems for those of us who are trying to be very honest with people."

She advises allergic customers to bathe the cat at least once a week, bar it from the bedroom, vacuum and dust religiously and comb the cat frequently to reduce shedding.

Dallas allergist Dr. Gary Gross further suggests using air cleaners with HEPA filters (and using a HEPA-filter vacuum cleaner as well). He also suggests calling the Allergy Control Products toll-free line (1-800-422-DUST) for detailed information on allergen reduction.

So what's happening?

Can anything, then, explain why Ernie Sherman can have four Siberians and still draw a breath?

Dr. Eggleston offers a couple of possibilities.

"There's a very significant emotional component to allergic disease," he says. "It's not that people are crazy, but in any therapeutic trial for asthma, there's about a 30 percent placebo rate.

"People have done 'challenge' studies where allergy sufferers are given allergen solutions to inhale. With suggestion, you can markedly influence that response." If you believe strongly enough that you won't be allergic, he says, you may still have symptoms. They just won't bother you as much.

He warns, though: "We see a lot of people who are attached to cats who have lots of chronic illness that we are absolutely sure is related to their ownership of cats."

Dr. Eggleston also cites research done by Tom Platts-Mills of the University of Virginia medical school. Dr. Platts-Mills' data shows that "at higher levels of cat allergen exposure, you may actually have less sensitization. He's suggesting that maybe this is why people say they can tolerate their cat. ... I'm not sure about this, but the data is there."

To help allergic prospective customers decide, some breeders will send them a snip of Siberian fur to put inside their pillowcase for a few nights' trial if they can't visit the breeder.

But Dr. Gross calls the pillowcase trial "ridiculous."

"The best way would be to go and spend some time with a person who owns one or to go to a breeder and spend the day there," he says. "Unfortunately, some illnesses such as asthma are worse at night, so even a negative daytime trial might not be definitive."

It may all boil down to this: If you hang around a cat for a few days and it doesn't make you sneeze and wheeze, that's all you need to know.

"If it works for you, it's fine," says Dr. Eggleston. "You don't need lots of explanations."

It worked for Lynda Nelson's client Georgi Brochstein, who sent the breeder this e-mail about his family's new Siberian:

"She has fit in beautifully and has such a place in our hearts. Everyone who comes in contact with her is charmed by her friendly manner and patience around small children. One small child in particular is my 2-year-old grandson, Logan, who has had problems with asthma since he was an infant. The look of pleasure on his face when he has the kitty in his lap and pets her gives us such joy because he couldn't understand before why he couldn't be around animals."

By Steve Steinberg / The Dallas Morning News
Source

Zissou - Playful Kitten

2007-05-03T00:57:00.000+04:00

Just found another nice movie with siberian color point cat. It's a blue point - he has blue nose and points (tail and legs). It's very very beautiful!
Kittens are sooo cute! I think I should have kittens again. Though it was tiresome, but it was so nice to have kittens. And I hope I was a good mom.

Siberian Cats at Answers.com

2007-04-30T06:58:00.000+04:00

At big site Answers.com there is a page about Siberian Cats.
The Siberian is a recognized breed of cat, with most cat organizations accepting Siberians of any color (including color points) for competition. This includes recognition in the major cat registries such as TICA and Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), as well as acceptance in the CFA Championship class beginning on February 6th, 2006.

Siberian Cats Are Nothing to Sneeze at

2007-04-25T05:14:00.000+04:00

Even though they have beautiful fur, Siberian cats are not only great for allergy suffers, but will give your dog a run for its money

Do you feel that cats can't compete with dogs? Think again. In 2003, Rachel Tucker of Baker City, OR, entered her two hundred strong Siberian cat sled team in the Atta Boy 300 sled dog race as a publicity stunt. Much to the amazement and embarrassment of the Husky competitors, Tucker's cats ran the three hundred mile course in just over twenty-two hours, not only winning the race, but beating out the nearest dog team by about an hour. No one thought she had a prayer, except for Tucker of course. "I told the puppy lovers to watch out, that these cats were for real, but they thought I was joking," said Tucker. Centuries ago, Siberian cats were initially bred as watch cats and used in Russian monasteries.

Siberians are beautiful breed large cats that are a natural product of Russia, typically found in Leningrad and St. Petersburg. They did not have it easy, either. Not only did they have to endure the harsh Russian climate, but for a number of years it was against the law for Russians to own and feed pets. These cats had to run the streets surviving 'underground' and eventually finding refuge in the local monasteries. They weren't introduced into the United States until the 1990s.

Siberians are semi-longhaired cats with thick undercoats and come in all color patterns, usually taking up to five years to mature. As illustrated above, they have powerful muscles and are great leapers, with hind legs, when extended, slightly longer than the front ones. Their paws are large and powerful as well. But in spite of all this strength, they are extremely agile, and have the sweetest facial expressions. They are very vocal and can be heard giving off a soft chirping sound. Siberian cats have quite a regal bearing.

But one of the most fascinating things about Siberians is that people who are typically allergic to cats, who experience sneezing, wheezing, hives, and watery eyes as well as other symptoms, have absolutely no allergic reaction to a Siberian. For a shaggy cat, that is quite an astounding fact. People who in the past have even been hospitalized because of an allergic reaction to cats can comfortably cuddle with a Siberian and suffer not a single sniffle.

Siberians have wonderfully affectionate natures and are quick to give a kitty massage or bath to their owner when they're feeling sad or down. They also have been said to have dog-like qualities, especially when it comes to protective behavior. For all of their power and protectiveness, Siberian cats are absolutely wonderful around children. So if you happen to have children with allergies or asthma, but you would love to give them a pet, a Siberian Cat is just the ticket.

Via The Feline Cart

Siberians are 7th most popular cat breeds

2007-04-21T05:09:00.000+04:00

According to that article Siberians are the 7th most popular breed:

7. Siberian Cat

Siberian cats are known for their proportioned bodies and their furs. Some even claim
that their furs are hypoallergenic, although this is still subject to be confirmed.

These cats are intelligent, loyal and very affectionate. They are almost dog-like in their personality.

Yes, I can confirm - I am like that. :)
Purrr...

Sibaris

2007-04-17T06:33:00.000+04:00

Sibaris is a website of Moscow based cattery. Owners are Arina Kozyr and Alexander Kolesnikov who are PhDs in molecular biology.

We are doing our best to apply our knowledge in biology and genetics to the Siberian breed development. Our main task in breeding is to establish stable lines of Siberian cats with “wild-type” colors and outstanding breed characteristics.

Visit their photo gallery to see their nice cats.

Google Doesn't Like Cats

2007-04-15T05:00:00.000+04:00

Sshhhhh!!
Hate it hate it hate it!
I've just found that my nice, warm and cozy place on web got removed from this Big Brother's Index. And you know what? That's all because Google's own Blogspot buggy templates. SShhhh!!!

Thanks these nice people from Tip of the Day saying in Your Blogger Blog Won’t Be Indexed If It Is Not Listed:

If you have Blogger blog you might want to check if it is actually being indexed. If you specify in blog settings that it shouldn’t be listed on your Blogger profile, the following code is added to your meta tags:
< meta name="”ROBOTS”" content="”NOINDEX,NOFOLLOW”" >

I just removed the following line to get rid of it:

< b:include data="’blog’" name="’all-head-content’/" >

But I don’t advice anyone do the same, cause it removed all header information - including RSS links and so on.

I just did the same. Hopefully will get back to index soon.

A “Siberian Exile” for Siberians: Will They Ever Be Back?

2007-04-09T06:20:00.000+04:00

Discussion that is currently taking place all over, including pages of this magazine (Droug, A.K), about the future of Siberian breed has elicited important antagonisms existing within society of the lovers of famous Russian indigenous cat. Apart from these opposite views, most disturbing is the fact that many members of this society don’t have clear vision of how the breed would have been developed. Why it is so important?

No emergency brakes allowed in planes. Likewise, biological evolution does not permit “bus stops” to land down and relax with impunity. An evolutionary “stop” frequently results in steep and hardly surmountable regression. This is true for natural evolution and is even more true for the artificial one.

Lack of understanding of some basic biological principles other than applied genetics of fur coloration can play bad joke with a breeder. It is especially true in the case of young breeds that require significant work for stabilization of the cat type. Being captured in this maze, a number of breeders as well as cat judges flooded Russian Internet resources and printed media, with their opinions regarding Siberian breed, which often lack any felinological content, yet full of emotions and finger-poking. The energy and stubbornness of these persons would be better used in some other, more focused and peaceful purposes.

In fact, it’s hard, to get rid of a thought that in the fire of emotions none of these persons remember about cats. In this article it would be better to put this entire discussion apart and to concentrate on the first and foremost issue of the breeder, the cats themselves.

Source By Alex Kolesnikov, PhD in molecular genetics

New section on this site

2007-04-03T06:25:00.000+04:00

There is a number of sites devoted to Siberian Cats. Today I'd like to start a new section here - website reviews. Not all of the reviews will be cat sites, but I'll try to stick to the topic. Hope that you will like my reviews. All we cats and cat lovers should keep together. If you have or know site about Siberian or Neva Maquarade Cats - just leave a comment to this post, and I'll try to write about your site.

Siberians at iStockPhoto

2007-03-30T04:55:00.000+04:00

iStockphoto is a very nice place where you can buy royalty free photos for as little as 1 USD. I've just found this photo there. So if you need to use somewhere a photo of my brother (or farther?) breed Siberian - you can do it here.

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall | March 2007

2007-03-21T23:38:00.000+03:00

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall | March 2007

Please all pet owners be alerted about massive pet food recall!

Plamya & Tamya

2007-03-19T20:33:00.000+03:00

I've just discovered another two videos of 1 month old siberian kittens Plamya & Tamya. Bad enough they disabled embedding, but you can view videos yourself:

Plamya & Tamya

Sleep talking siberian kitten

2007-03-12T01:43:00.000+03:00

Tipu, our siberian kitten sleep talking after a hard run in the park.

Mocca-hovawart & siberian kittens

2007-03-11T22:20:00.000+03:00

"Mocca (Daya von Gaudihof) and 8-weeks-old siberian kittens"

Neva Masquerade Cat (AKA Colorpoint Siberian Forest Cat) History

2007-03-10T08:04:00.000+03:00

Recently I decided to make a little search about my breed. And here is what I found:

Neva Masquerade Cat (AKA Colorpoint Siberian Forest Cat) History:

When other cats breeds were imported to this area the Siberian was mixed with pointed cats such as Balinese, Siamese, Persians, Himalayans, etc., this created offspring with a – fluffy coat with pointed color. Some claim this mix was natural, why others claim intentional.

No no! I'm aborigine cat! There were no mix with any other breeds! First mentions about Neva Masquerade were during WW2 - and do you really think that any one would have intentionally mix breeds during this period?? Pffhhh!

Kittens playing

2007-03-05T07:20:00.000+03:00

Just found another great video with siberian kittens.

YouTube - Kittens playing

Siberian kittens 6 weeks old

2007-02-28T06:31:00.000+03:00

Siberian kittens 6 weeks old

2007-02-27T07:19:00.000+03:00

Yet another "Siberian kittens 6 weeks old" video

2007-02-27T06:32:00.000+03:00

Me in Wikipedia

2007-02-23T08:14:00.000+03:00

Did you know that I'm mentioned in Wikipedia? (said with my most proud purrr)
Okay, okay, not me, but my breed, but still!

Siberian (cat) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Some breeders have promoted the colorpoint Siberian Longhair cat as a separate breed called the Neva Masquerade. However, no major cat registry has yet made the distinction, and they are considered a colour division of the Siberian."

Something's In The Way

2007-02-21T07:45:00.000+03:00

Makia wants to leave, but Alexi is playing in the doorway!

A kitten, a feather, a hat and a ball

2007-02-16T07:24:00.000+03:00

Alexi playing with my Papa Johns visor, a bouncy ball, and his peacock feather.

Kittens 4-weeks-old

2007-02-11T19:54:00.000+03:00

Seven Siberian kittens.

Siberian kitten pounce attack

2007-02-04T03:02:00.000+03:00

Kittens 17-days-old

2007-02-01T08:17:00.000+03:00

Kittens 5-days-old

2007-01-21T07:23:00.000+03:00

Seven lovely Siberian Cat-kittens and their mum.

Playful Kitties

2006-12-15T07:17:00.000+03:00

This is just adorable... Alexi and makia get into a sparring match. (Makia sounds really mad but she's not really... her bark is much worse than her bite) ;)

2006-12-15T05:57:00.000+03:00

She just found this photo of my lovely blue one on her favorite place.

Play Session

2006-11-29T04:11:00.000+03:00

Alexi Wrestling with His Toys

2006-11-27T05:50:00.000+03:00

The title says it all... Our siberian kitten Alexi is playing with his toys again. He's adorable!

Alexi In My Lap

2006-11-26T20:54:00.000+03:00

Our siberian kitten falling asleep in my lap as we took him home from Virginia.

Alexi Vs. The Straw

2006-11-21T05:23:00.000+03:00

50 Days Old Siberian Kitten

2006-11-12T07:38:00.000+03:00

More Siberian

2006-10-15T02:32:00.000+04:00

YouTube - Siberian Kittens

2006-10-07T03:09:00.000+04:00

2006-08-12T18:40:00.000+04:00

Another Daddy's photo.
He's soooo serious!

2006-08-11T18:37:00.000+04:00

Daddy of my first kittens :)
He just sent me his photos via email. Finally another online-cat.

Blue point

2006-06-15T08:20:00.000+04:00

Isn't he really nice? It's a blue point variation. They really look great! But I'm better of course!

2006-04-01T20:24:00.000+04:00

Siberian tiger looking for a new home.

2006-03-04T00:37:00.000+03:00

Cat!

2006-02-03T16:33:00.000+03:00

Pinky nose :)
When they just born their noses were dark. And she was anxious - 'cause I have pink nose. But now everything's fine. Pinky :)

2006-01-31T22:12:00.000+03:00

Three of them

2006-01-31T22:06:00.000+03:00

"I know kung-fu!"

2006-01-31T22:02:00.000+03:00

Aaaaaa!

2006-01-31T21:57:00.000+03:00

"Let's play with mommy's tail!"

2006-01-31T21:56:00.000+03:00

View from the tail

2006-01-31T21:54:00.000+03:00

Professional star

2006-01-31T21:51:00.000+03:00

Shall we dance?..

2006-01-12T14:52:00.000+03:00

Fight

2006-01-12T14:49:00.000+03:00

On a chair

2006-01-03T20:03:00.000+03:00

The blue one, the red one, and the yellow one..

2006-01-03T20:02:00.000+03:00

Finally at least some one sleeps on it!

2006-01-03T20:00:00.001+03:00

In between

2006-01-03T20:00:00.000+03:00

I don't care any more... Just another couple of minutes of sleep...

2006-01-03T19:58:00.000+03:00

The blue one can eat in any position

Me tired....

2005-12-28T16:44:00.000+03:00

Too sad for a kitten..

2005-12-28T16:42:00.000+03:00

Playing with mom

2005-12-27T20:21:00.000+03:00

First time I can sleep..

2005-12-27T20:18:00.000+03:00

Lunch a month later - now there is space only for two

2005-12-27T19:54:00.000+03:00

What do I smell here?

2005-12-27T19:52:00.000+03:00

Moooooving.......

2005-12-27T19:50:00.000+03:00

Fuurrrr

2005-12-27T19:48:00.000+03:00

Rear view

2005-12-27T19:47:00.000+03:00

Hisssing

2005-12-27T19:45:00.000+03:00

Me and my tail

2005-12-27T19:41:00.000+03:00

Heya - what do you have down there??

2005-12-27T18:22:00.000+03:00

There are two of us here

2005-12-27T18:20:00.000+03:00

Gosh! What a tail!

2005-12-27T18:17:00.000+03:00

It's me! Mother of four

2005-12-22T20:28:00.000+03:00

Same kitten, on the same hand, a month later.

How she's holding him! Human!

2005-11-28T20:15:00.000+03:00

Just born, but already hungry

2005-11-28T20:13:00.000+03:00

There are four of them, actually...
But what the heck - they all look the same :)

2005-11-26T20:11:00.000+03:00

My first kitten - 12 hours old.